Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-05-08
CHAPTER VII
InNRlS q DREAM.

dressiug-gown that suited her fair eom-
plexiOn admirably, and with . very de-
spending expression ON her beautiful face
Bessie was one Of those people who are
easily elated and easily cast down.
jess came mp to her and kissed her.
what is it. love?'' she said. Her sister
would never have OWNED the gnawing
anxiety that was eating at her heart Is she
said it,
ooh, jess, I'm so glad that you have
come. l do so want You 20 advise me
that is, to tell me what you think and
she paused.
You must tell me what it is all about
first, Bessie dear" she said, sitting down
opposite to her in such 4 position that her
face was shaded from the light. BESSIE
tapped her naked foot against the mating
with which the little room Was carpeted.
Ii was an exceedingly pretty foot.
''Well, dear old girl, IL Is just this
Frank Muller has been here to ask me to
marry him"
''Oh," said Jess, with n sigh Of relief,
10 that was alp" She felt - though a
ton-weisht had been lifted from her heart.
She had expected that bit Of news ion some
time.
'.He wanted me to marry him, and when
l said l would not. he behaved like
like"
Like \ Bocr," suggested Jess.
Like a brpte," went on Bessie, with
emphasis.
Like himl l lOathe the man. You don't
know how | loathe him, with his hand
some. bad face and his cruel eyes. al
a loathed him, and nov l hate him
too. Bnt l will tell you all IT. and
she did, with many feminine comments
aad interpretations.
jess sat quite still, and waited till she
had finished.
well, dear" she said. at last, 'yOu
are not going to marry him, and 80 there
is an end of il. You can't deteSt the man
more than I DO. | nave watched him for
wears" she went on, with rising anger,
''and | tell you that Frank Muller Is a liar
and q traitor. That man would 5etray his
own father it he thought il tn his interest
to do so. He hates uncle am sure he
does, although he preteuds to be so fond OF
him. l am sure that he has tried often
and often 70 stir up the Beers against him.
Old Hans Coetzee told me that he de-
noUnced him 10 the Neld-COrnet aS an
suitlander' and a 'yerdOmdc EugelSmann'
about two wears before the annexation, and
tried To get him 10 persuade the LGuddroSt
10 report him rs law-hreaEer TO the Ra1d;
while all the time be was pretending TO be
40 friendly. Then in the Silkukuul war
IT was Frank Muller who caused them to
r~amWrgTtgr uuCle'S two best wagons and
the spars. He gave none himself, nothing
hut a couple of hays of meal. He Is q
wicked fellow. Bessie, and = dangerous Eel
low; but he has more brains and more
mower about him than any man IN the
Transyaal. and you will have To he very
careful, OF he will do us all a had turn.
"Ahr' said Bessie; well, me can DO
much now that the country - English"
~ am not sd sure OF that. I am not 50
sure thrt the country is going to stop Eng
Iish' You laugh ut me for reading me
home papers, but | see things there that
make me doubtful. The other people are
in W now in England, and OnCdOcs not
know what they may do; you heard Nhat
uncle said tonight. They might give
us w 10 the Beers. You must remember
that we far-awav people are only the
counters with which they play their game. W
Nonsense, Jess said Bessie indig-
nantly. 'Englishmcu are not like that.
when they say a thug, they stick to 1t.
They used To, You mean answered
less. with q Shrug, and GOT up from her
chair 10 20 to he'd.
BESSIE began to fdget her white feet over
one another.
stop q bit, Jess dear" she said. II
want TO speak to you about something
else"
Jess sat or rather dropped back into her
chair. and her pale face turned paier than
ever; but Bessie blushed rosyred and
hrSit1ted.
1t is about Captain Mel" she said at
length
'pOh," answered Jess, with u little laugh,
and her voice sounded cold and strange in
her own ears. HAS ne been following
Frank Muller's example. and proposing to
yOu too
moo" said Bessie, "but'-and here
she rose, and, sitting on n stool by her
Oilcr sister : CD;llT, ltNlth uFl lbANiS'"A
against her knee-''but l love him. and |
BsIiere that he loves me. This morning he
told me that | was the prettiest woman ne
had seen at home or abroad, and the
sweetest TOO; and 10 you Know, ~ she said,
looking mp aud giving ahIppy little laugh,
Il think he meant it, too
"Are You Joking, Bessie, or are you really
in earnest"
'In earnest nh, but that I am, and am
not ashamed to say it,. I fell in love with
John Mel when he killed that cock ostrich.
He Looked 80 Strongand savage ~ he fought
with il. 1t is a fine thing to see q man
put out all his strength. And then he is
such q gcntlemau,-SO different from the
men we see round here. On, yes, | tell IN
love with him ut once, and | have got
deeper and deeper in love with him ever
since, and if he does not marry me think
that it will break my heart. There, that's
the truth, Jess dear. - and she dropped her
golden head on to her sisters knees, and
began to cry, softly, at the thought.
@CR